1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for adjusting static attitude of a thin film magnetic head.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is an essential requirement of a floating-type magnetic head unit to hold at a higher accuracy the static attitude of a magnetic head supported with a head support for achieving high density recording and reproducing. The static attitude angles of the magnetic head unit include a pitch angle and a roll angle.
However, the magnetic head unit is generally configured to have the magnetic head bonded to one end of the head support (or suspension) through an adhesive, which may cause displacement from a desired static attitude.
Since the magnetic head unit is manufactured by mounting the magnetic head, which is an expensive component manufactured through elaborate processes, on the head support, which is also an expensive high-precision component, it is not permitted to discard the assembled magnetic head unit as a defective product merely on the grounds that the static attitude angle of the magnetic head does not fall within a given range.
In order to correct the displacement of the static attitude, there has been developed an adjusting means which applies a mechanical pressure with the use of a pressing jig. According to this static attitude adjusting method using the pressing jig, a flexure mounted on a free end side of a load beam is bent by pressure with one point of the flexure on the axis of the load beam taken as the fulcrum, thereby adjusting the static attitude of the magnetic head.
After being bent by the mechanical pressure, however, the flexure tends to be sprung back by its restoring force. This means that the flexure has to be bent more than necessary to merely attain the desired static attitude.
When the flexure is bent largely, a gap may be created between the flexure and a projection (or dimple) through which a load is applied from the load beam to the flexure, resulting in the occurrence of so-called dimple floating. The dimple floating inhibits the load beam from applying a load onto the flexure, thus deteriorating the floating characteristic of the magnetic head.
As a means for solving the above problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2001-357644 & 2001-357645 disclose a technology of keeping the flexure or load beam bent at an angle close to the initial bending angle, wherein after the flexure or load beam is bent for static attitude adjustment, stress is relieved by irradiating a laser beam to the bent area.
This prior art technology has an excellent effect that a significant change in static attitude can be obtained from bending the head support at a small angle.